Connection of driving means to speedometers



sept. 15,41931. J. ZUB/m 1,823,867

CONNECTION OF DRIVING MEANS TO SPEEDOMETERS Filed March 9, 1928 Patented Sept. 1 5, 1931 UNITED STATES LPATENT OFFICE l JOSEPH ZUBATY, vOF FLINT, `IMIClllIGrAilT1 ASSIGN OR TO A -C SPARK PLUG COMPANY, A

F FLINT, MICHIGAN, A.A COMPANY OF MICHIGAN CONNECTION OIF 4DRIVIN G MEAN S TO .SPEEDOMEIERS .Application filed March 9,

My invention relates to an improved manner 'of connecting driving mechanism with an indicating instrument, such as a speedometer.

This application is a continuation in part e of `my pen'dingapplication Serial No. 94,100, filed March 11, 1926 in so far as the subject matter common to the two is concerned.

When a speedometer is mounted vupon the instrument board :of a vehicle, it is usually 1 0 permissible to have the ii'exible driving `means approach 'the speedometer in a vertical position. Therefore, in certain types of speedometers the shaft `which is to be connected to land Ydriven by this Ydriving means, projects l down through the bottom of the speedometer casing. In some types of vehicles, however, it is considered desirable that the flexible driving means Aapproach the instrument hor=izon'tally, in order that it will 'not interfere i with other 'parts of the vehicle, or be in the way x'of the passengers feet.

An object'of my invention, therefore, is to provide a simple 'fitting between the speedometer and-the flexible driving means, which `will permit the latterto approach the speedometer in a horizontal position. (This iitting may be secured to the end of'driving means, and Iserves 'as a housing for a pai-r'of shafts which `are --geared :together at ya right angle to 'each other, -to change the ldirection of the drive.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent upon referring to the specification and accomp anyingdrawings in which Figure l is a side elevation of the lower part of a speedometer casing, showing 4the flexible drive attachment therefor.

Figure 2 is a section taken on the line 2 2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a section 'taken on l'tl1eline'3-i3 of Figure "2.

Figure 4 is a view corresponding to Figure l, but showing a modified form of attachment.v

vFigure 5 is a 'section taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 4.

The reference numeral lO indicates the casing of a speedometer within which is held a frame 12. Journalled in the frame is a rotor shaft 14 having a squared end 16, which i is usually connected directly to the flexible 1928. serial No. 260,421.Y

fdrivingme'ans by .a coupling .18. Then it is desired to .have the driving means ap preach the speedometer ina horizontal position, the :rotor shaft is connected to .a shaft '20, .having an enlarged end 22 which .is .squared to lit into .the coupling 18, as shown in Figure 2. Pressed .on 'the shaft 20 is a worm gear 24 which mesheswith a second worm gear 26, pressed on a shaft 28. The shaft 28 is substantially at aright angle to the-shaft 20, with its axis ina horizontal vpo- `sition. V.An lenlarged end 80 'is provided-on the .shaft 28, kto receive the tip of -a liexible :shaft 32., which is staked =or otherwise ise- :cured therein. A flexible casing 34 fs11rrounds the `flexible .shaft 82.

The shafts 20-28 lare supported in :a :fit` ting .or housing which is lcomposed of an `11pper 7stamping 36and a lower stamping 38. Thestamping :has formed on .itfa rflange :around which is bent an extension 42, "formed fon the .lower stamp-ing 38. .This serves to :hold the two stampings tightly together. Held :in the stamping 36 is a sleeve 44 which passes through an "opening in .the "speedome` terV casing 10 and fits into fa passage in the in strument frame 12. This sleeve is held in place in the frame by .means of :a iJ-.shaped clamp member 46 and .sa .screw 48 threaded into the frame V12, the clamping member fbearing against aflange 50 formed on fthe sleeve 44. The sleeve `has formed in it a groove 52 which .fits 'a rolled-in .portion 154, formed in thestamping 36. Pressed in A:the sleeve 44 Vis a bearing 56 in 'which the 'shaft .20 is jour- .'n-aill'ed. The shaft 120 Vis held against axial movement in fone direction by theenlarged portion 22, and in theother direction .by `the gear 24, abutting :against the bearing 56. Clamped between the vstampings 36 e .and 38 is 'a bearing p 58, .in which is vjournalled the fshaft 28. This bearing 'is held Vagainst .axial movement 'by means of `struck-fm portion 60 on fboth stampi-nge, which its'into 'a .groove 62 formed in the e5 fbearin-g 58. 'It will be `:seen that the axial fmoveme'ntcof the shaft 28 will She `prevented in one direction :bythe gear 426, and inthe opposite direction by the enlarged portion k30, 'abuttingl againstthe :bearing 58. The 100 flexible casing 34 is inserted between the stampings 36 and 88 before they are secured together, and is staked or Otherwise secured in place between them.

It will be apparent that the above described parts are all stampings or automatic screw-machine parts, both of which are very cheap to produce, consequently there is no expensive machine work necessary. The parts are held together and in relation to each other without the use of any screw threads or bolts. Therefore, the cost of this device is much lower than it would be if the conventional construction were used.

In the modification shown in Figures 4 and 5, la'cast housing 68 is used instead of the stampings shown in Figures l to 8. A shaft isprovided with a squared end 72 which fits into the coupling 18. On this shaft is cut or mounted a worm gear 74, which meshes with another worm gear 76 cut or mounted on .a shaft 78 which is at a right angle to the shaft 70. The end of the shaft 78 is squared as at 80, and lits into a correspondingly shaped tip 82 on the end of the flexible shaft 84. The flexible casing 8,6 is secured in a sleeve 88, which is drawn up against the housing 68 by a nut 90, which is screw-threaded on the housing. In order to permit assembly Vof the shaft 70 and gear 74 in the housing 68, a large opening is` provided which is later closedv by a plug 92 which is threaded into the housing 68. The lower end ofthe shaft 70 is journalled in the plug 92 as at 94. A second plug 96 closes an opening in the housing through which the gear 7 6 and shaft 78 are assembled. The housing 68 is provided Ywith an extension 98, which passes through an opening in the speedometer casing and fits into a passageV in the frame 12. The housing 68 is held in place against the speedome- :ter casing b v means of bolts 100, which are screw-threaded into the frame 12.

It will be seen that either of the above constructions may be used to provide a cheap and simple connection between the flexible driving means and the speedometer, which will permit the flexible driving means to approach the speedometer in a horizontal .positionj` The same type of speedometer may .be used eitherin connection with a vertical or a horizontal type drive, the only changelnecessary'being the provision of the correct kind of coupling device between the speedometer rand the driving means.v

It is thought from the foregoing taken in connection with the accompanying drawings `that the construction and operation of the device willbe apparent to those skilled in the art, and that'various changes in size, shape,

and proportion and details of construction driving means therefor, coupling mechanism for said driving and driven means comprising an upper and a lower stamping secured together, a sleeve secured in said upper stamping, said sleeve being fastened to the instrument, a bearing held in said-sleeve, a shaft connected to said driven means and journalled in said bearing, a second shaft located at an angle to the first shaft and geared to it, said second shaft being connected tothe driving means, and a bearing for said second shaft clamped between said upper and lower stampings.

2. In an instrument having driven means, driving means therefor, `a casing for said .driving means', coupling mechanism for said driving and driven means comprising an Aupper and a lower stamping, a flange on one of said stampings, an extension on the other stamping adapted to be bent around said flange to secure said stampings together, intergeared elements, at an angle to each other, journalled within said stampings, one of said elements being connected to the driving means and the other to the .driven means, the casing for said driving means being clamped between said stampings. 1

v8; In combination with an instrument having driven means and driving means therefor', coupling mechanism for said driving and driven means 'comprising a pair of stampings secured'together, a sleeve secured *ses vin-one of said stampings, said sleeve being 4 fastened to the instrument, a bearing heldin said sleeve, a shaft connected to said driven means and journalled in' said bearing, a second shaft located at an angle t0 the first shaft andgeared to the latter, said second shaft being connected to the driving means, .and a bearing for said second shaft clamped between said stampings.

4. In combination with an instrument having driven means and driving means therefor, a 'casing forl said driving means, coupling mechanism for said driving and driven means comprising apair of stampings, a flange on one of said stampings, an extension `on the other stamping adapted to be bent around said flange torsecure said stampings together, and intergeared elements located at an angleto each other journalled within JOSEPH Z'UBATY.

maybe made without departing from thev spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

'A l. In an instrument having driven means, 

